At first glance, Magic counting is a book for toddlers, with its board book format and bright colours, but once the book is opened and the flaps turned back, information about numbers is revealed that will intrigue adults and older readers.
The book opens onto the number One and on the left-hand side show the number, the world, a hand with one finger showing. On the opposite page is a globe with the words: 'One Earth turning, where countless creatures live’, and some information about Earth, all suitable for a young child. Turn the flap and magical knowledge awaits the reader regardless of age. The geometric shape of a circle and its properties are explained and then the reader learns about the ouroboros, a serpent that eats its own tail, the wheel with spokes of the same length and the enso, a Japanese Zen Buddhist symbol. The book continues in this way, with the numbers going to ten, the first two pages ideal for a young child, and then geometrical shapes and symbols that will expand the knowledge of all who read it. I was fascinated to learn about yin and yang for the number 2, the triskelion made of three interlocking spirals and used by ancient Greeks and Celts, and the wombat who makes square poo, made of four sides. I know that I will be looking at flowers in my garden to see if they have five petals and counting the segments in an orange to see if there are ten segments. And the illustrations in clear, bright colours complement the text and will help readers remember symbols and shapes.
Magic counting is an excellent way of linking numbers to everyday objects and expanding knowledge about shapes and symbols. Any person who is given this book or has access to it in a classroom or library is in for a treat. It is a keeper for me – just wonderful.
Themes Counting, Shapes, Symbols.
Pat Pledger
Sharkman and Blowfish world domination by David Woodland
When baby blowfish hatches out of his egg on the reef he is entirely alone. Small for his age, he is bullied at the Kraken Elementary school but always remains optimistic, enjoying the view when hanging from the basketball hoop and feeling clean after being put in the washing machine. His passion is learning about sharks and so when the new kid, a young great white shark, big for his age, befriends him they make a formidable team. Blowfish’s can-do attitude and amazing creativity combined with Sharkman’s big ideas and powerful family empire make world domination a real possibility.
The detailed drawings throughout the book are stylishly presented in monochrome with some wonderfully imagined machines in a variety of landscapes around the world. I particularly liked the fishy pops, displayed on the endpapers, that feature throughout the book. Some of the text seemed a bit clunky and poorly integrated with the graphics and sudden jumps in the timeline at the beginning were a bit confusing. The spoilt, egotistical Sharkman is not very likeable and the page where he has an axe for cutting down trees is a bit too nasty. Overall the story is fun and quirky, the graphics engaging and the characters consistent and well developed. Despite many attempts they don’t quite achieve world domination, leaving their story open to be continued.
Stitch by Padraig Kenny is a captivating and thought-provoking fiction novel that intricately weaves themes of friendship, loyalty, and the essence of humanity. The story revolves around two central characters, Stitch and Henry, who share an extraordinary bond. However, what sets their friendship apart is not just their unwavering connection between each other, but the fact that they are not ordinary beings. They are the result of scientific experiments conducted by the eccentric Professor Hardacre in his secluded castle.
Stitch is someone every reader is sure to love. He epitomises all the qualities of a true friend - kindness, acceptance, devotion and honesty, and that of a good person. He has a wonderful outlook on life, seeing each day as a special gift, appreciating the little things and accepting everyone for whoever they are. Stitch displays a level of humanity that challenges the natural order and raises questions about what it means to be truly human.
Stitch and Henry’s life is turned upside down with the arrival of Professor Hardacre's nephew and his young friend, Alice. Their presence in the castle serves as a catalyst for unforeseen events, and Stitch is left confused and unsure about what to do. As the story unfolds, Stitch and Alice must put their differences aside to find Henry. However, when the two find themselves confronted with the ignorance of the town’s people, will they be able to overcome the fear and prejudice that they face?
Kenny masterfully crafts a narrative that is both heart-warming and morally challenging. His portrayal of the characters' emotional connections and sensitivities enables the reader to see things through a different lens. With complex themes to explore, such as the ethics of scientific experimentation, the nature of identity and the power of friendship, this would work brilliantly as a class novel.
Stitch is a remarkable story that combines adventure, emotional depth, and moral questions in a seamless narrative. Entwining the true power of friendship, acceptance and living without bias, this is certainly a memorable and impactful read for all.
In the fourth inspiring book in the series about Ming and her to timeslips back to the past, author Jackie French has once again shown the reader an exhaustive look at life in another time. Her attention to detail and her ability to share fascinating facts about the period of history in question alongside a well-constructed story, allows this series to offer an engaging read for those who love history.
Ming & Ada Spark the Digital Age is an intriguing look at early ideas and developments around the area of Mathematics, though this does not become apparent until later in the story. Ming has been taken by Herstory to an English mansion in Notting Hill. She is to become a scullery maid in a home where Ada Byron, the daughter of Lord Byron, is convalescing after contracting measles. She has been desperately ill, suffering from temporary blindness and medical cures of the time are not improving her condition.
Ming in her new subservient role, befriends Hepzibah, an African servant who is subject to the prejudices of the times. Through a series of unfortunate occurrences, Hepzibah is accused of theft and it is up to Ming to try to find the culprit. Alongside the drama with servants, Ming has also moved on to become a personal maid to the ailing Ada and with Ming’s knowledge of modern medicine she is able to nurse Ada back to reasonable health. While Ming is spending so much time with Ada, she is also learning that Ada has advanced knowledge of Mathematical theories and is a visionary genius. It is not until the end that the reader finds out the Ada indeed is an amazing woman of History who without Ming’s intervention, may not have survived to become the famous person she does.
Throughout this book, there are times when Ming begins to question her own family and her absent mother. She is resentful about the situation and questions Herstory about where her mother may be. Herstory throws in an unexpected connection to a new friend and an enticing offer to find out more…Hopefully the fifth book in the series is not too far away!
Themes Women & Girls in History, Timeslip, Prejudice, Servants, Measles Epidemic, England 1829, Mathematics, Family, Secrets.
Kathryn Beilby
Plantabulous! More A to Z of Australian plants by Catherine Clowes. Illus. by Rachel Gyan
Plantabulous! More A to Z of Australian Plants is the companion book to Plantastic: A to Z of Australian Plants published in 2021. In this latest release 26 more unique Australian native plants are introduced in alphabetical order. As with the first book, the gorgeous cover by Rachel Gyan will entice middle grade readers to explore this engaging publication.
The author gives the reader a brief introduction to Australian plants and their distinctive, often unknown qualities in the beginning of the book. There is a detailed contents page naming the 26 plants discussed followed by information about ‘How to Use this Book’ and a gentle reminder to avoid going off track to minimise plant damage.
The plants begin with ‘A for Ant Plant’ and end with ‘Z for Zostera’. Each plant has its own double page spread with information, colourful illustrations and some labelled diagrams. Included is a Genus name with its pronunciation, the common name and where possible an Indigenous name. For example, the Burrawang plant is the name used by the Dharuk people from the Sydney area. This plant has been around from the time of dinosaurs and is a type of cycad.
Each of the 26 plants has an interesting plantabulous fact and an activity which provides the reader with an idea of what to look for if searching for the plant. By using the map and plant ecoregions guide at the back of the book, it is possible to find plants in each state of Australia. The glossary and acknowledgments complete the back section. The front endpapers show alphabet letters and the back endpapers show clearly labelled plant sections.
Plantabulous! More A to Z of Australian Plants is another wonderful resource to add to a home, school or public library. Young botanists will learn so many fascinating facts about our Australian flora in this beautifully presented book. There are free Teacher Notes available.
A most unusual and tempting book about the friendship between a bear and a leaf will intrigue younger readers as they recognise the bear’s loneliness and wish for a friend. He is alone in the forest, his siblings all gone. A leaf falls onto Bear’s head and Bear, catching the leaf and hugging it to himself, calls the leaf Greaf as he is a green leaf. But the puns on the leaf are becomes obvious later in the story.
They do things together, Bear carrying Greaf wherever he goes. They walk through the woods and forests, up and down hills, across rivers and lakes. When the wind begins to blow more strongly, Bear clutches Greaf tightly to his chest. He takes Greaf to his home when the rain comes down, and they sit together in the still and the dark. Bear cannot think of a time without Greaf until one day he notices that the leaf is changing. Greaf is no longer green and soft, but brown and brittle.
When the wind hows through the cave, Greaf is torn to pieces and these pieces swirl around Bear. And then disappear.
But then Bear sits again under the huge tree, seemingly not quite as large as it was before, and he recalls his friend Greaf, a friend forever in his heart.
A story about loneliness and friendship, and about grief and loss as Bear finds a friend in an unexpected place and when that friend is gone, has the memory of him forever in his heart.
This book introduces younger children to the concept of grief, as the season changes in the story, initiating the change in Greaf and his eventual demise. They will empathise with the story of Bear and Greaf, and recognise that although Greaf has gone, he is remembered.
The illustrations are amazing, swirls of colour cross each page giving impressions of forest and hills, of the cold wind and warmth of the sun. Pages will provoke interest in readers as they recognise different ways of representing the forests, the seasons, the flora and fauna around the bear. And the intriguing way in which Canby draws the bear on each page will promote thought and lots of discussion.
And children will look for things amongst the wonderful washy greens of the endpapers.
Published across the globe, Kelly Canby was born in London, but moved to Australia at the age of three, when she began using pencils and crayons, eventually developing her original and quirky style. She is the author illustrator of Timeless, Rodney, The hole story and Littlelight, all wonderfully unusual and fascinatingly illustrated books.
A book to read last thing at night, encouraging sleepy heads, especially those dressed in their dragon pyjamas, that it is time for bed.
Told from the child’s perspective, the little dragon simply will not go to bed, the young child asking for help from the reading audience. They have put the sheep away and swatted all the questions to one side. The next step is to yawn and encourage Little Dragon to yawn as well. In bed at last, but Little Dragon’s tummy needs to be scratched. His flame is tickling his throat and so a glass of water is required, but Little Dragon is sent to the bathroom instead to use the tap. But he uses something else to get his drink! Toilet paper being great fun. Next Little Dragon’s dinosaur is missing and must be found. At last they are in bed, Little Dragon snuggling down with his dinosaur. But no, a story must be read. Well, off to sleep, but it is too light, and reaching up to turn off the light the room becomes too dark. The child kisses the Little Dragon goodnight and someone’s eyes spring open. This delightfully entertaining book about the perils of getting a child to sleep, is told from a child’s perspective, trying to get his dragon to sleep. All attention is on the Little Dragon who tries every trick to remain awake and avoid sleeping.
Told with lots of humour, encouraging children to see what their parents do each night, the fresh perspective will be highly amusing to those whose bedtime is a nightly trial. Excuses are trotted out, causing exasperation from the child, reminiscent of that felt by adults.
Lovely illustrations by newcomer, Rae Tan add another level of humour to the tale, while at the same time endearing the child and the dragon to the readers. I love the endpapers with their sketches of the animals, and I love the way Tan has used several sketches of the dragon, tumbling over themselves as it avoids sleep. Kids will love the images of a perplexed child, wondering what else can be done to get the dragon to sleep, and the images of the child in bed with the dragon are simply wonderful. Younger readers will love seeing the Little Dragon and its machinations at avoiding bed and sympathise with its attempts to remain out of bed. And they will love looking at the detail in the bedroom.
Helen Comerford’s debut YA novel is a lot of fun. 2024 is the year that a prophesied superhero is supposed to save the town of Nine Trees from disaster. So when romantic superhero Blaze saves Jenna Ray from the explosive fire at the Culture Centre the news is all over the networks. Will Jenna be the hero’s preordained ‘Love Interest’? Independent minded heroine, Jenna, decides she’s not having any of it.
Although Blaze is championed by the Heroics and Power Authority (HPA) as the latest hero to overcome the Villains, the more Jenna becomes involved with him, the more uncertain she is about the purpose of the HPA, and who the Villains really are. There is also the question of what happened to her brilliant engineer mother; why has she disappeared?
It’s a twisty plot with mystery, adventure, and quirky situations that will make you laugh. While completely engaging as a superhero story it also comes across as an enjoyable and irreverent send-up of the genre. Blaze reminds me so much of the hot but slightly dumb Weston in Sophie Gonzales’ The perfect guy doesn’t exist. Comerford’s superhero Blaze is cute, and good intentioned, but needs Jenna’s prodding to stop and question some of the too easily accepted rhetoric of supposed authority figures.
The other interesting element is Jenna’s own insecurity – the panic attacks where she needs to mindfully relax and breathe her way out. Her family and her friend Joy help her through those episodes, and gradually she discovers her inner strength and special power.
Walking the rock country in Kakadu: Karrire kundenge karribolknan kunwarddehwardde by Diane Lucas, Ben Tyler and Emma Long
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761067860. (Age:5+) Highly recommended.
In 2021, authors Diane Lucas and Ben Tyler along with illustrator Emma Long, combined their creative talents and produced the 2022 CBCA Eve Pownall Shortlisted book Walking in Gagudju Country: Exploring the Monsoon Forest. They have now written a second book in the same style and format, Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu: Karrire kundenge karribolknan kunwarddehwardde, that will once again engage the reader from cover to cover.
The vibrant glossy front cover depicting the rock country and the detailed endpapers showing aspects and creatures of the eco system are visually stunning. Throughout the book, the reader is drawn to the striking full page illustrations, and the text that cleverly uses Kundjeyhmi language translated by smaller images to add visual interest and learning to the story.
Walking the Rock Country in Kakadu is set in the early dry season and the group is setting off to walk through the rock country which is in the Arnhem Land plateau that extends into Kakudu National Park.
‘Karrire kundenge karribolknan kunwarddehwardde: Lets walk, lets look at the rock country.’
Along the way they explore many different habitats and meet all kinds of animals of the land, air and water. The children learn to listen to the adults as they share stories about Country, the use of fire and when it is the right time to burn. They learn about survival and safety, and the danger and damage caused by cane toads and European bees.
This is an astonishing read, the second in a series of three with the final book focusing on the floodplains. Alongside its beautiful illustrations there is so much learning to be gained and First Nations knowledge to be shared. A comprehensive glossary using words and images is at the back of the book and in the front introductory page is a QR code to listen to the story being read by the authors.
A fabulous resource for home, school or public library.
Themes Arnhem Land Plateau, Kakadu National Park, Nature, Plants, Animals, Kundjeyhmi Culture & Language, First Nations.
Kathryn Beilby
How to move a zoo by Kate Simpson and Owen Swan
Allen & Unwin, 2024. ISBN: 9781761180309. (Age:5+) Highly recommended.
This incredible true story shows how the Taronga Zoo came to be where it is today. Originally at Moore Park, it was obviously running out of room, so a plan had to be devised to transfer all the animals across the harbour to the new site. In 1916 the bridge had not been built, so all sorts of coaches, cars and trucks were used to transfer the animals, using the ferries across the harbour as the means of getting to the new zoo.
Months later, there was only one animal left, Jessie, the elephant. There was nothing big enough for her to be transported in, so the decision was made to walk her.
Swan’s gentle form of illustration is just right for this story of Jessie. The soft edges, light colours, and the way of presenting each page will speak to the reader, taking them back to a time when Sydney Harbour was a very different place. The Opera House and bridge do not clutter the image of the harbour, just hills and ferries. Readers will enjoy seeing the old vehicles (see also the splendid endpapers) and clothes, as well as looking at the different ferries used more than a century ago.
Early in the book a map of the Sydney Harbour will engage young readers, looking at the path Jessie took to get to her new home.
At the height of World War One, this parade of vehicles driving an array of animals through the streets, followed months later with Jessie walking the same route, drew crowds of people, a respite from news of the war in Europe.
At the end this wonderful story are several paragraphs of information about the transfer as well as two photos taken at the time. More information can be found here.
Themes Zoos, Taronga Zoo, Elephants.
Fran Knight
Wylah the Koorie warrior: Protectors by Jordan Gould and Richard Pritchard
Albert Street Books, 2024. ISBN: 9781761180798. (Age:10+) Highly recommended.
Protectors, the third book in Wylah the Koorie Warrior series, will have readers on the edge of their seats from page one. With Wylah now the true Koorie Warrior, her path is not easy and danger lingers all around. The very first paragraphs of this exciting story show Wylah travelling on her loyal Pippy heading into yet another battle with the evil Tiller, Livingstone and Captain Fyre. They are behind the dragons and creatures attacking Wylah and holding her family, friends and tribespeople hostage. Added to this, the Guardians have had their power depleted and can no longer provide Wylah with support. However, Wylah is never one to give up and with her powerful boomerang Kae-Kae, she is able to overrun her enemies and free her people and the Guardians.
But it is not over for Wylah by a long shot. There is a new and more immediate threat and it takes all of Wylah’s loyal companions and Guardians to assist her to once again to try to provide safety for her people. The new battle that ensues leaves the reader breathless. With the Red Dragon becoming the Gold Dragon and doing incredible damage, the heroes of the story are forced to use all of their skills, cunning and power to overcome this powerful creature and those controlling them. At times it feels like the danger may have passed but there is always a controlling sinister presence lurking causing more threats to peace.
The detailed graphic-style images used throughout provide an important visual element as there are many characters in this book, each unique with their own story. On the website Wylah the Koorie Warrior there are fabulous teaching resources including Character Images for Education RESOURCES | Wylah that will provide children and adults with a clear image of each character. There is also a Wylah trading card game with colourful glossy images of the main characters to be collected and swapped. Book 4 will be available soon.
Susannah Begbie’s The deed is such fun to read. It is no surprise that the original manuscript ‘When trees fall without warning’ was winner of the 2022 Richell Prize. Now the published novel brings together laughs and ludicrous situations whilst illuminating the personal frailties of four siblings reluctantly brought together by the death of their father.
Early on we read the rather repellent details of Tom’s death as discovered by his daughter Jenny, and the old man’s bitter challenge to his alienated children with a new revised will requiring them all to work together to build a coffin within four days or forfeit any claim to his huge pastoral estate. It’s a multi-million dollar inheritance that will instead go to the only too eager lawyer who drafted the will.
Each of the four siblings, Jenny, Christine, Dave and Sophie, is a flawed character, each scarred in some way by their upbringing. They have to overcome long-term fears and resentments to actually focus on delivering the coffin on time, in spite of the obstacles the shifty lawyer is only too keen to put in their way. Along the way their misadventures will have you laughing out loud.
The chapters are short, alternating between the viewpoints of the characters, and will have you racing to read each scenario. It is a particular skill on the part of the author that while you may laugh at the situations, you also warm to the personalities and their problems. It is a not only funny but heartwarming account of a dysfunctional family that gets there in the end. Easy to recommend, the book can’t fail to be a hit.
Themes Humour, Family dysfunction, Parenting, Sibling rivalry, Greed.
Helen Eddy
The Whisperwicks: The labyrinth of lost and found by Jordan Lees
Benjamiah’s mother is wired with an investigative brain and his father seems keener on the world of mystery and fiction, and they don’t seem to be able to walk a smooth path together. Benjamiah is a little lost and alone. His family seems to be falling apart and there is nothing that his investigative and reasoning brain can fathom to solve the dilemma. And then he is thrust from his life in his family’s bookshop into another world, Wreathenwold, and into a new bookshop and a labyrinthine world which does not seem to behave logically. Each new person he meets has a poppet doll at their side, ready to be summoned, and there is no rhyme, reason or map to explain the new world he is in. He is lost again. An accidental rescue places him in the home of Elizabella, and Benjamiah becomes embroiled in a rescue plan for Elizabella’s lost twin, Edwin. The magical mystery world is complex and occasionally unhinged, but Benjamiah proves to be a trustworthy friend in the most awful of circumstances. The quest to find Edwin and explain his disappearance thrusts the young children into a world of danger and eccentricity with the need to solve mysteries and ply their own magic. Friendship may be the greatest magic of all.
This is a breathtakingly original and convoluted story. The magical world is eccentric and unique and will challenge those who prefer a logical route in life. The winding pathways and unusual fantasy ‘rules’ are pre-empted with chapter introductions quoted from a ‘History of Wreathenwold’ book, a book that gives titbits of explanation of the fantasy world where Elizabella and Edwin, and now Benjamiah, are located. The Whisperwicks is charming and full of magical delight. The complexities and occasionally menacing characters mean that this book is best for readers aged 10-14 who are prepared for some dark and confusing plot details. It is not lighthearted, but the growth of friendship between Elizabella and Benjamiah is a candle in the fantasy darkness. I enjoyed this journey into a twisted (mapless) world, where getting lost is the norm, and was delighted to see that there will be a sequel to look forward to. Jordan Lees has created a storyland that is like no other, and yet there are hints of ancient mythology and fantasy stories where a character moves between reality and fantasy. This will be a much-loved book for young readers who enjoy a challenge and a twist in the fantasy they read.
Jeff has a plan to escape the zoo and get to the playground he can see. But Jan is not so sure.. Jan recalls similar plans and reminds Jeff, but he dismisses all concerns. All the cliches of tactics and escapes are used in this very funny escape story. They communicate via walkie talkies, saying 'Roger and out', '10-4', 'Code three' and 'Mayday' to give the story a nod to all those escape films and TV shows we have seen. In the hands of a giraffe and a seal, the words add another level of humour.
Told in stanzas, a new one appearing as each page is turned, the rhythm will delight kids as they predict some of the rhyming words, and make some of the noises in the text. It is a wonderful read aloud, with a strong rhyming sequences which sometimes stops you in your tracks at the cleverness of the rhyming words.
Jeff’s friend Jan always brings up negative things: about other plans that have failed, last time he was videotaped, or the night is too dark. But each is dismissed by Jeff who wants to stick to his plan. A friend, Roger the seal, becomes stuck in the wire, while Jeff puts his foot on the accelerator causing the jeep to make a bigger hole in the fence.
Surrounded by cliches of detective stories, searchlights, men in grey coats and hats and videotaping the suspect, the escape does not go to plan of course, bringing a clever twist at the end of the story.
Bright, vivacious illustrations set the scene. Colour and movement will grab the eyes of the reader, dragging them into every detail and splash of humour. Jeff takes some beating, not only does he draw up plans for himself and his friend, but he can also drive a jeep, use a walkie talkie, fly high on a swing, and read a map. All done with wonderful aplomb, sitting sometimes gracelessly with his head in his hands.
Readers will not look at a zoo in quite the same way again, and the seals and giraffes will certainly be looked at with greater understanding. A wonderful read and read aloud, I would have different kids reading the text highlighted out loud to make a funny book reading of the story.
The possibilities are endless.
Themes Zoos, Giraffe, Seals, Escape, Zoo keepers.
Fran Knight
Oceans at night by Vanessa Pirotta. Illus. by Cindy Lane
Oceans at Night is a gentle story set from dusk to dawn describing the diversity of sea creatures that live and move above and below the ocean depths, to those that live purely in the darkness and safety of deep water.
With dolphins, penguins, sharks, rays, plankton, whales and more, each double page spread shares fragments of information about the marine life, complemented by glorious watercolour illustrations by Cindy Lane. These images were created with seawater, sand and natural pigments from around Australia, as well digital drawing and collage. The striking and varying hues of blues and greens used for the backgrounds allow the marine life to shine on their own watery stage. The stunning endpapers showcase a fluorescent jellyfish floating across the pages.
The poetic words used to describe each of the diverse animals is perfectly pitched at a young audience. The movement of each creature is felt, as is the swell and rise of the ocean.
Rising up out of the deep, a giant sunfish swishes her fins from side to side. She is the biggest bony fish in the sea. Gracefully, she sucks up floating jellyfish, one by one. The sunfish turns her massive body flat, resting at the surface. She remains still, welcoming the new day.
This is a beautiful story that will be enjoyed by all readers. The bonus pages at the end sharing further information about the marine life explored in the book will encourage further learning and research. Teacher notes are available.
